Scientists Uncover That Humans Have A ‘Magnetic 6th Sense’ to Detect Something We Can’t Even See

August 5, 2017

Have you ever heard of something called magnetoreception? This is essentially the ability to perceive magnetic fields.

Quite a few different animals are able to use this in order to find their way over long distances. That being said, we don’t really know much about it. Animals like honey bees, sea turtles, and dolphins all have magnetic compasses that allow them to use the information that is coded into the magnetic field of the Earth to navigate. For all we know these magnetic fields could be something much more than a compass, we will understand them better in time.

A more recent study is focusing on the question of rethinking the sixth sense. This study was published in the journal Nature Communications by Joe Kirschvink and it suggests that the human retina contains a protein that when placed into fruit flies gives them the ability to detect magnetic fields. Researchers on the study also claim it can serve as a magneto sensor but we, of course, do not know if humans can use it yet.

Kirschvink was able to discover in one of his experiments that when the magnetic field itself is rotated counterclockwise around a patient, their neutrons responded with generating a spike in electric activity. This suggests that there may very well be a magnetic sense in humans. There have actually been quite a few studies pertaining to this in the past. Changes in the Earth’s magnetic fields from extreme solar activity have actually been linked to some of the greatest art creations as well as some of the most tragic events, for more on that click here.